Roads are key, say Super Neighborhoods

KIM CANON, Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, March 18, 2004

Northwest Super Neighborhood officials say they want the city of Houston to start work on key roads running through in their respective corners of Houston's District A -- from Loop 610 west past the Addicks Reservoir, and north and south across U.S. 290 -- in the coming fiscal year.

At District A's annual public meeting last week, six Super Neighborhood presidents each focused on one major artery in their community that needs work, but is lingering on the city's rolling 5-year capital improvements plan.

They said these major thoroughfares play a key role in their communities, and an improved roadway would lead to better traffic flow, a boost for the areas economy and a distinct identity for their neighborhoods.

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The city juggles about 400 capital improvement projects -- road, drainage, library, parks, public safety, solid waste and public health -- each year, and that five-year rolling schedule is updated annually. Residents in each council district can suggest additions to the plan.

Representatives of Super Neighborhoods Willowbrook and Carverdale presented District A Houston City Councilwoman Toni Lawrence with their first Super Neighborhood Action Plans. These plans outline keyprojects Super Neighborhood leaders would like to see added to, or moved forward, in the city's CIP.

Sam Anton, president of the Carverdale Super Neighborhood, said neighborhood leaders have been waiting for someone to widen a section of Gessner between Tanner Road and Hempstead Highway for years.

The Super Neighborhood represents city of Houston residents who live on the northwest outskirts of Spring Branch.

"This is the only section of north Gessner that has not been widened," said Anton, who owns a restaurant off the narrow, two-lane asphalt stretch. "During rush hour, it is bumper-to-bumper through that area. Also, kids have to wait for their school buses on that section of road which still has deep ditches."

Anton said the city is not charged with widening this section of Gessner -- the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County was handed the project -- but said District A's CIP does have a project to build the detention pond on Gessner to allow Metro to move forward with road construction.

He said he hopes the city breaks ground on that $450,000 project soon.

Walt Plonski, Willowbrook Super Neighborhood president, said the Texas Department of Transportation and Harris County have committed the majority of funding toward a $9 million West Greens Road extension project, but needs the city of Houston to come forward with its fair share -- $300,000 before work can start.

The project, which would extend West Greens Road from a dead-end near Willowbrook Mall to Cutten Road, would relieve traffic at the busy Texas 249/FM 1960 intersection and around the mall because it would provide an alternate route for those trying to travel east of those locations on FM 1960.

It is not listed on the city of Houston's capital improvement projects plan at this time.

"Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole will send a formal request to the city asking for participation by April 1," Plonski said. "Our area chambers and the Super Neighborhood have also submitted resolutions supporting the project."

All three Spring Branch Super Neighborhoods -- East, West and Central -- asked for help on the Long Point Road project, which has been on the city's CIP since 2001.

The city has about $8.5 million earmarked during a five-year period for the Long Point Road project, which includes the reconstruction of the road from Hempstead Highway to Gessner.

"This is our main thrust," said Glen Smith, Spring Branch East Super Neighborhood president. "We hope to get intersection projects started this year, and the overall project started soon. We have had all kinds of studies conducted. We need to get this done."

Houston Public Works and Engineering Director Jon Vanden Bosch said the city would start final design work on three Long Point intersection improvement projects this year, including those at Blalock, Wirt and Pech roads.

However, Vanden Bosch said, the Pech Road intersection project could be delayed if a Pech Road widening project is stopped because of neighborhood opposition. That road is in Spring Branch East territory.

Hundreds of residents, business owners and Spring Branch school officials say they want the road improved, but do not want the city to widen it from 28 to 42-feet wide between Westview and Long Point roads.

The project is scheduled to start this summer.

"It is designed as a 42-foot road," Vanden Bosch said. "If the neighborhood wants something other than that, it may have to go back to the drawing board or cancelled altogether."

The Greater Inwood Super Neighborhood is tracking several projects, said president Wayne Norden, including a new 13-acre park off Antoine Road and Gulf Bank Road widening project from Antoine to West Mount Houston Road.